Container



Oct 17, 1950 J. c. sEAGER ET Al. 2,525,958

coNTAINER Filed May 27, 1947 1N V EN TORJJ` (/o/f/v C 55A GER AND A 7' TURA/5X Patented Oct. 17, 1950 CONTAINER John C. Seager,"Long Island City, and Paul J. Jensen, Hartsdale, N. Y., assignors to Niemand Bros. Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 27, 1947, Serial No. 750,806

(Cl. G-46) 1 Claim. l

This invention relates to containers. More particularly, it relates to -a container having a cap which engages the contents of the container to secure an-d maintain it in position.

Ampules are provided, in general, with a neck projecting from the top thereof, and in use the neck is broken oli adjacent the shoulder of the ampule after the neck has been scored with a iile or the like. The contents of the `ampule is then withdrawn into a hypodermic needle or the like.

In the marketing of the ampules, an individual ampule is generally packaged in a single con tainer. Due to the projecting neck, the latter is very vulnerable to breakage. Frequently, when the package was inverted the free end of the neck was broken. Various means have been proposed to secure the ampule in position so that it will be restrained from movement during its life in the package. Usually, such means contemplated positioning an auxiliary member or element to secure the ampule in the package. The use of the auxiliary securing member necessitated not only an additional structural element but an extra operation in the packaging of the ampules.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved container for the packaging of articles having necks, such as ampules and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container for packaging articles having necks, such as ampules, and securing the same in position without the use of any extraneous securing element.

An additional object of this invention is to pro- Vide a container for articles having necks, such as ampules or the like, wherein the cap is so constructed that when it is in position on the container it will secure and maintain the packaged article in position.

Other and additional objects of the invention Will become apparent hereinafter.

The objects of the invention are accomplished, in general, by providing a container with a cap having a depending skirt, terminating in a neck, of such dimensions that when it is positioned in place on the container the neck will be disposed in said container and the free end thereof willbe seated on the shoulder of the packaged article which has been disposed in the container prior to the application of the cap to secure it in position. The skirt and container yare generally of the same diameters. However, the neck of the cap is of a reduced diameter so as to form a press-fit with the container, and the smallest diameter is at the free peripheral edge thereof. In another embodiment of the invention, the reduced neck of the cap is provided with longitudinally spaced corrugations terminating in spaced relationship to the top and bottom of such neck. The tops of the corrugations extend beyond the surfaces of the uncorrugated portions of the neck and serve to provide a friction-fit between the container and the neck.

The nature of the invention will become more apparent upon reference to the single figure of the drawing, which is a vertical cross-section of the container together with an article packaged therein.

For convenience, the invention will be described in connection with the packaging of an ampule, though it will be apparent that the packaged article is not restricted to ampules.

Referring now to the drawing, the ampule, designated by the reference numeral I0, is provided with a neck l2 which projects from and is formed integrally with a shoulder I4. The specic form or shape of the neck is not material.

The container in which the ampule is to be packaged comprises a tubular body member I6 which at the bottom thereof is turned inwardly to form a peripheral bead I8. A disc 28, pressfitted into the container and seated on the bead I8, constitutes the bottom closure of the container and on which the bottom of the ampule is positioned. As is shown in the drawing, the container body I6 of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the ampule Ill and is of a height which terminates intermediate the ends of the neck I2 of the ampule.

The container is adapted to be closed by a cap which comprises a cylindrical depending skirt 22 turned inwardly at the top thereof to form a peripheral bead 24. A disc 26, press-fitted in the cap member and seated on the bead 24, constitutes the cap closure member. At its lower end, the skirt 22 terminates in a reduced neck 28. The neck 28 is of a diameter so that it can be inserted interiorly of the container i8 and be frictionally engaged thereby. It is to be noted that the lower portion, and particularly the free end of the neck 28, is of the smallest diameter and, when the cap is positioned in place, such free end will be seated on the shoulder I4 of the ampule IIl positioned in the container to secure it in position. The top end 30 of the container I6 constitutes a seat to receive the shoulder 32 formed between the skirt 22 and neck 28.

In the form shown, the diameters of the container I6 and the skirt 22 are the same, and the 3 height of the skirt 22 is such that when the cap is in position on the container the cap closure 2li will be in spaced relationship to the free end of the neck l2.

A label 36 is adhesively secured so as to secure the container and cap adhesively together.

In another embodiment of the invention, the neck 23 may be provided with axially extending (longitudinal), equidistantly spaced corrugations 38 which terminate in spaced relationship with respect to the top and bottom of the neck 28. The corrugations 38 extend beyond the surfaces of the uncorrugated portions of the neck 28, with the result that a friction-grip is obtained between the corrugations 35 and the container l5 when the cap is positioned in place.

It is apparent that when an ampule is packaged in a container of the type described the neck of the top closure secures the container in position whereby, even upon inverting the package, the ampule will be restrained from movement particularly axially of the container, with the result that the ampule, and particularly the free end of the neck thereof, is protected from breakage. The spaced relationship between the free end of the neck and the top closure of the cap is maintained throughout the life of the package.

Preferably, the cap is formed of spirally wound kraft paper. In one method of producing the skirt 22, the kraft paper is spirally wound on a mandrel of a predetermined size in the usual manner of making spirally wound tubes. The resultant tube is then cut into sections of predetermined length which are to constitute the skirts. The end of eac-h section which is to be provided with the neck is reduced in diameter and then, if desired, corrugated. The disc 2S constituting the top closure of the cap is introduced in the section through the opposite end, and thereafter said opposite end is curved inwardly to form the bead. The disc is then press-fitted on such bead.

In one embodiment of making the neck, a mandrei having a shape complemental to that desired is introduced into the tube section and the portion thereof which is to constitute the neck molded between the heated dies. The original moisture content of the kraft paper renders it sufficiently plastic to permit the molding operation. The dies are preferably also provided with corrugations whereby, during the molding operation, the section is simultaneously reduced in diameter to form the neck and the corrugations are formed in the neck. The number and spacing between the corrugations are selected so that a sufcient number of contacts between the tops of the corrugations and the inner peripheral wall of the container will be obtained to permit the desired or necessary friction therebetween. In general, the corrugations are equidistantly spaced about the peripheral wall of the neck.

The container, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is also formed of kraft paper of the same type which constitutes the cap 22. In general, the wall thickness of the container i6 is such that, when the cap 22 is positioned therein, the peripheral walls of the skirt and container will be in alignment. The tubular container member l is formed by spirally winding the kraft paper in the manner usually employed in the production of tubular members. After such tube has been made, it is cut into sections of the desired size and the lower end turned inwardly to form the peripheral bead ES. Thereafter, the disc 2l) is press-fitted into position.

Though the container and cap in the preferred embodiment are formed of spirally wound kraft paper, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto. Such elements can be formed of any material capable of being formed into tubular elements, such as paper which is used in paper or paperboard tubes, metal, plastic, or indeed of any material having the necessary rigidity.

Though the invention in its preferred embodiment is for packaging of ampules, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto. It can be used for the packaging of any article having a neck and which is desired to be retained in secured position against movement axially of the package during its package life.

The container of this invention, which can be of any shape or material, can be produced on automatic machinery, with the result that it will be relatively inexpensive. When it is used for the packaging of ampules, the latter can be scored in the neck adjacent the shoulder prior to pack-- aging whereby, upon removal of the ampule from the container, the neck can be broken and the present operation of scoring, prior to 'breakingl by the physician, eliminated. Since the securing of the ampule in position is obtained upon the application of the cap in position, the packaging method can he performed by unskilled labor. The retention of the ampule against movement in the package eliminates breakage and the use of the extra precautions previously employed to prevent breakageA Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications can be made the above description without departing from the nature or spirit thereof, this invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claim.

We claim:

A package comprising an ampule having a cylindrical body terminating in a top shoulder and a restricted neck projecting therefrom, and a container having a tubular body member enclosing said rst body with a closure at the bottom thereof, and a cap having a depending skirt of substantially the same diameter as and forming a continuation of said tubular body member and terminating in a restricted neck of a diameter less than that of said skirt and disposed within and frictionally engaging said tubular body member, the free peripheral edge of the skirt neck being inturned and seating on the shoulder of the ampule at a point spaced from the walls of the body member to secure the ampule in position with its neck spaced from said skirt.

JOHN C. snAGER. PAUL J. JENSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 903,161 Barnes Nov. 1Q, 1908 1,202,642 Allen Oct. 24, 1916 

